Examining Principled L1 Use in the Foreign Language Classroom
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Examining Principled L1 Use in the Foreign Language Classroom by Isabel Osswald A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of The Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, Florida December 2010 Acknowledgements I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this period of my life and eventually made this research and thesis possible. First, I want to thank the Federation of German American Clubs for the scholarship that allowed me to study and work as a Teaching Assistant at Florida Atlantic University. Second, I want to express my gratitude to my advisor Dr. Prisca Augustyn and Dr. Geraldine Blattner who opened my eyes to my own academic abilities and professional opportunities. They supported and inspired me in numerous levels, both academically and personally. Next, I want to thank the entire Department of Languages, Linguistics and Comparative Literature which has always been highly supportive and welcoming. I also want to thank all my friends here in Florida who made this place my second home and with whom I shared so many good times. The friends I found here are amazing people and I truly hope to stay in touch with them for my whole lifetime. Above all, I would like to give special thanks to my family. To my brother, my sister, my father and my mother whom I love very much and who have always supported me through every new situation in my life. iii Abstract Author: Isabel Osswald Title: Examining principled L1 use in the foreign language classroom Institution: Florida Atlantic University Thesis Advisor: Dr. Prisca Augustyn Degree: Master of Arts Year: 2010 This study examines the potential benefits of using the native language of learners in a principled way by reviewing research that represents the dominant view of using only the second or target language (L2) against a growing body of literature that argues for principled L1 use. The development of the direct and monolingual method and its key aspects are discussed, and bilingual methods and arguments for implementing the first language (L1) in a foreign language classroom are reviewed and evaluated. An attitudinal case study investigating learners‟ attitudes towards L1 use in the classroom showed that students prefer a mixture of L1 and L2, and that the principled use of the L1 has positive effects on the learner. iv Dedication To my grandparents who have inspired me, inspire me and will inspire me throughout my whole life through their virtuous and endearing personalities. Table of Contents List of Tables………………………………………………………………………..viii List of Figures……………………….………………………………………………..ix 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 1 2 The L2-Only Dogma .......................................................................................... 5 2.1 Status Quo ................................................................................................... 5 2.2 Development of the L2-only Dogma ............................................................ 8 2.3 Reasons for Avoiding the L1 in the Classroom .......................................... 12 3 Challenging the L2-only Dogma ....................................................................... 15 3.1 Arguments for Using the L1 in a Principled Way ....................................... 15 3.1.1 Scaffolded Help .................................................................................. 15 3.1.2 Identity in the FL Classroom .............................................................. 21 3.1.3 Showing Empathy and Solidarity ........................................................ 23 3.1.4 Clarifying Meanings and Checking Comprehension ........................... 26 3.1.5 Saving Time ....................................................................................... 31 3.1.6 Other: Maximizing L2 Input, Control over Classroom, Teaching Pragmatic Knowledge, Exotic Languages ........................................... 32 3.2 Studies Investigating the L1 in a Foreign Language Classroom ................. 36 4 Bilingual Practice ............................................................................................. 47 4.1 Teaching Grammar – a Taboo? .................................................................. 47 4.2 Idiomatic Translations ............................................................................... 50 4.3 Mirroring ................................................................................................... 51 vi 4.4 Sandwich Technique ................................................................................. 53 4.5 Translation ................................................................................................ 55 4.6 Brainstorming, Word Trails, Bilingual Texts ............................................. 58 5 Case Study in Italian ......................................................................................... 60 5.1 Description of Study .................................................................................. 60 5.2 Results and Discussion .............................................................................. 63 6 Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 78 References ............................................................................................................... 82 Appendix ................................................................................................................. 90 Appendix A……………………………………………………………………….…. 79 Appendix B……………………………………………………………………...……82 vii Tables Table 1: Students‟ Attitudes towards Language Use in the Classroom, Questions 1-9………………………..………………………………….…..…..65 Table 2: Influence of Code Choice in the Classroom on Students…………….…….....70 Table 3: Students‟ Attitudes towards Language Use in the Classroom, Questions 19-21…………………...…………………...………………………72 viii Figures Figure 1: Usage of English as Preferred by Students...…………………….…………71 ix 1 Introduction Today, the Communicative Approach is the predominant approach for teaching foreign languages in the US and beyond. The Communicative Approach, developed throughout the 20th century as a response to the Audiolingual Method and Grammar- Translation methods, recommends that language educators and students use the target language as exclusively as possible during instructional time and if possible also beyond the classroom (Cook, 2001). The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) published a Draft Position Statement on the use of the target language (TL) in the classroom in May 2009, which recommended that the TL should be used at least for 90% of the time in a foreign language (FL) classroom.1 Krashen and Terrell (1983) stated that this approach “is based on the use of the target language without recourse to the use of the native language” (p. 9). This view of classroom language use is also supported by a number of other linguists (Brooks, 1990; Ellis, 1999; Gass, 1997; Johnson, 1995; among others). On the other hand, there are researchers (Atkinson, 1987, 1993; Auerbach, 1993; Butzkamm, 2003, 2009; Levine, 2003; among others) who think that the native language or first language (L1) should not be entirely avoided by teachers or students in the classroom. They recognize several advantages in using bilingual teaching methods and they argue that the mother tongue should be employed regularly and systematically when appropriate. While it is not 1 http://www.actfl.org/i4a/forms/form.cfm?id=117&pageid=5036&showTitle=1, 04/18/2010. 1 possible to link all works and studies of the linguists who are investigating the use of L1 and L2 in FL classrooms to one theoretical framework (Levine, 2003, p. 345; Macaro, 2001, p. 533), Macaro (2001) stated that there is a need for “a framework that identifies when reference to the L1 can be a valuable tool and when it is simply used as an easy option” (p. 545). However, studies about the use of L1 in a FL classroom, promoting or discrediting it, are often connected to Long‟s Interaction Hypothesis (1983), the Social Interaction Model of Vygotsky (1986) and Krashen‟s (1981) Input Hypothesis. According to Krashen, input in the TL is the most important factor in order for acquisition to take place and it must be comprehensible and meaningful. Krashen believes that immersion teaching is successful because it provides the most comprehensible input possible in the foreign language. Using L1 in the language classroom inevitably cuts down exposure to L2, which would result in less “comprehensible” input and slower acquisition. Krashen‟s Input Hypothesis is part of the Natural Approach of FL learning developed by Krashen along with Terrell (1983). The Natural Approach implies a „natural and direct‟ method in which students are immersed in the FL without being exposed to the L1. Long‟s Interaction Hypothesis (1985) suggests that the key to learning a foreign language is to interact with the teacher and fellow students. The interaction functions as a catalyst that promotes language acquisition (Brandl, 2008, p. 18). Students work “cooperatively on a language-learning task or collaboratively by achieving the goal through communicative use of the target language” (Brandl, 2008, p. 18). In the social interaction model of Vygotsky (1986), also known as Sociocultural Theory, “the qualitative analysis of learners‟ interaction attempts